final of the Commercial Cricket League's new League Cup at Nationals on August 29.

But while Sandys had a smooth passage into the final with a convincing five-wicket victory over Forties, WIA had to rely on a superior run rate to advance after becoming embroiled in another controversial finish with Devonshire Stars.

The WIA-Stars match began an hour late at Shelly Bay and was abandoned because of bad light at 8.15 p.m. with WIA 183 for eight in 34 overs in pursuit of Stars' 204 for nine.

The league committee deemed Sunday's match a draw with WIA going through on run rate over two matches. WIA's rate was 5.76 compared with Stars' 5.50.

Stars' tempers flared after WIA had lost their eighth wicket when a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket against Lesbourne Lawrence was turned down by the WIA umpire, which led to a Devonshire player kicking down the stumps and holding the game up for 10 minutes.

There was time for only one more over before the game was halted because of bad light. Another Stars player then kicked the stumps down again and he and his team-mate could face disciplinary action by the league over their behaviour.

Earlier there was a long delay between innings while the captains reconciled a discrepancy in the scorebook. Stars' total was initially pencilled in as 211 but both teams eventually agreed on 204.

The disagreements overshadowed two fine batting performances.

Former Safeguard Security player Harold Minors, coming in at number nine, lifted Stars from the uncertainty of 139 for nine with four sixes and seven fours in a swashbuckling unbeaten 76.

Minors and Ronald Dillas (seven not out) featured in an unbroken last-wicket stand of 65. Earlier, Shane Grant made 40. Randy Liverpool, another big hitter, clouted two sixes and 13 fours in his 84 for WIA before he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

A few seasons ago a league match between the two clubs was abandoned when a WIA batsman refused to leave the crease after being given out caught behind. A league committee inquiry subsequently awarded the points to Stars.

Forties, having lost the previous week to North Village and with a far inferior run rate, needed to beat Sandys handsomely at Nationals to reach the final.

They looked like running up a commanding total as skipper Gordon Campbell and Gerald Simons hammered 85 for the third wicket to reach 131 in the 19th over but when Campbell went for 69, Forties' challenge petered out and they closed on 223 in 35.3 overs.

Campbell struck eight fours and faced 64 balls while Simons hit three sixes and five fours in his 57. Grant Tomkins at number nine weighed in with 38 but Forties' total left them with an overall run rate of 5.28.

Sandys, who went into the match with a run rate of 6.70, had no intention of letting it drop. Opener Paul Ross, chancing his arm from the start, struck a thunderous 72 containing two sixes and 13 fours as Sandys rattled up 70 in the first 10 overs.

Although the west-enders suffered a hiccup when Ross and Michael Corday both fell to slow bowler James Thomas at 108, Terry Ward ensured victory with an effortless 78 not out to add to the unbeaten 100 he made against Forties at the same venue in an earlier league match.